PALESTINE RIOTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22434, 2 June 1936, Page 9

PALESTINE RIOTS

FIFTY-SIX DEATHS ARAB MAYORS' ULTIMATUM ENDING INFLUX OF JEWS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received June 1, 11.55 p.m.) JERUSALEM. June 1 The toll of the present series of Arab-Jewish disturbances is 56 killed, of whom 29 were Jews, and 25 Arabs, one British policeman, and one European Christian. The wounded number 110 Jews, 175 Moslems, 23 British police, two soldiers and seventeen others. Those arrested number 981 Arabs and 250 Jews, of whom 418 Arabs and 204 Jews were convicted. Soldiers and police, vigorously retaliating against snipers, killed several Arabs at Haifa and Jaffa. Tear-gas pistols,'disguised as pencils, are being distributed among Jews as protection against Arab attacks. The Mayors of Jaffa, Nablus, Ramley, Lydda and Hebron decided that the water supply, lighting, scavenging and other municipal services should be discontinued, and passed a resolution supporting the higher Arab committee's demand for a cessation of Jewish immigration and land sales to Jews. They declared they would resign unless they received satisfaction from the British authorities in ten days.* Communist pamphlets printed in England have been discovered, inciting British troops to mutiny. Others in Hebrew urge Jewish workers to support the Arab strike against Imperialism and Zionism.

Suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting of a German Jew, Franz Borchardt, 01, who died in hospital.

There were 61,854 Jewish immigrants into Palestine during 1935. Of these 58,050 persons came on permits of all categories and 3804 arrived as travellers, and were authorised by the Palestine Government to remain permanently in the country. Taking into consideration the natural increase, estimated at 6040, as well as other factors influencing immigration, it is estimated that the Jews of Palestine at the end of 1935 comprised 29.8 per cent of the total population, compared with 18 per cent (171,610 individuals) at tho official census of 1931, and with 11 per cent (83,790) at the census of 1922 During the past I(3J years, therefore, the Jewish population grew by a total of 318,000 people, of whom 500,000 entered during the past four years alone, or an average of 19,000 a year. Of those, 266,000 (84 per cent) were immigrants and 52,000 represented a. natural increase.